Chicken Soup
by SS-HPFC
Summary: Fred is nervous. Hermione is concerned. And George is interfering in the most annoying way. HG/FW. For Kim.


_A/N: Merry Christmas Kimberley, sorry it is a tad late._

_Disclaimer: Not mine._

* * *

Fred Weasley was not a romantic man by nature; he would bring home a prototype romantic-gag for his girlfriend sooner than he would flowers. Fortunately for Fred his girlfriend, Hermione Granger, is very understanding of this. She herself was not a girl wooed easily.

She would like flowers once in a while but she wouldn't want to give up the huge smile Fred wore on his face every time he made her smile or laugh with his prototype gags. She would like a spontaneous gift on occasion but their spontaneous romps were much more satisfying.

However, this worked in Fred's favour immensely; Hermione would never expect a surprise proposal on Christmas Eve. He had been planning, stressing, buying, stressing, asking for advice and _stressing_. He wasn't sure if his scalp would ever recover from the amount of hair he had pulled from it.

It was now only twenty four hours away from the Christmas Eve party that all Order of the Phoenix members attended; which meant that it was twenty two hours until Fred proposed to Hermione. Fred paced in his small office at the back of his shop, continually stopping to pat his right pocket and check the ring was indeed still safely tucked inside.

This was how Hermione found him. Pacing, muttering, pausing to touch his pocket and then pacing again. Amused yet confused, Hermione's brow furrowed as her mouth moved into a small half-smile and her eyes sparkled with happiness.

"Ahem."

Fred jumped a foot in the air and spun around, eyes wide when he saw his petite girlfriend staring at him.

"Hermione," he said in an unnaturally high voice, clearing his throat he tried again. "I mean, Hermione!"

This time his voice was back to normal and he quickly swept Hermione into his arms and kissed her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Making sure you're coming home on time tonight. As much as I like the silence, reading just isn't the same without you there to pepper me with questions, or massage my legs or distract me with kisses."

Fred grinned at this and kissed her again, this time darting his pink, tongue out to lick her lips. Hermione sighed into his mouth, allowing him entry. The two explored each other's mouths, the passion intensifying. Hermione pulled back and quirked a brow at Fred.

"What?"

"Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Are you going to be home on time tonight, Fred?"

"Yes he is," George answered, walking into the office with a lime green box.

"I am?"

"Yes," George and Hermione answered together.

"Right," Fred said, trying to take his eyes off of Hermione and failing miserably.

"You may as well leave now," George said, placing the box on the desk and moving to a filing cabinet.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Forge. You've been no help whatsoever today, this entire week really. What have you done to him Hermione?" George asked, pulling a file out from the cabinet.

"Me?" Hermione exclaimed. "I haven't done anything; he's been acting funny without my help for years."

"Well yes, he's always been a comedian Hermione but that's not the problem," he replied with a grin, finally looking at the couple. "The problem is that something is distracting him so much that he _isn't _being funny. He is being normal."

Hermione turned to look at her boyfriend; noting his sweaty forehead, flushed cheeks and dry lips. She wasn't sure if it was from the steamy kiss or a cold but decided the former made more sense.

"You have been acting rather normal lately Fred," Hermione commented, brushing his hair out of his eyes with her fingers. "Are you ill?"

"N-no, I don't think so."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at George who nodded. Hermione shook her head and sighed. Quickly saying goodbye to George, Hermione pushed Fred into the floo, hugged him around the waist and floo-ed them both home. Rather confused, Fred let Hermione lead him into the bedroom, change him into his pyjama's and tuck him under the covers.

Satisfied that Fred was properly tucked in she kissed him on the forehead, told him to nap and went to prepare dinner. All Fred could think was that he hoped Hermione hadn't felt the ring box in his pocket. Deciding that a nap _would _be rather nice, Fred rolled over and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Hermione walked down the stairs of their modest, four bedroom home and into their kitchen. It wasn't a very large or boastful house but it was a _home_. And that was much more important to the unlikely couple than any extravagant mansion.

They had bought the house around a year ago. Many of their friends and the Weasley family had disagreed with the idea as they had only been together for 18 months are the time.

'_Buying a house?' _Mrs Weasley had asked, _'what a crazy idea, you haven't been together very long.'_

'_Nothing can be crazier than the fact that we are together, Mum' _Fred has reasoned. _'Besides, we know we'll last so what else matters?'_

After that, the family had stopped trying to 'help' the couple. With Hermione being as headstrong as she is and Fred not easily swayed from his opinion; trying to make the couple change their minds was like asking a tiger to change its stripes. It wasn't going to happen.

Hermione had thought the house would be too large.

'_Four bedrooms, Fred? There is only two of us and unless you planned on us having separate bedrooms, four rooms seems rather excessive.'_

'_It seems excessive _right now_,' _Fred stated. _'But, when we start our own little family we will be needing those bedrooms.'_

Hermione had smiled and they had bought the house the very next day. It was _them. _It wasn't what one would call normal but it wasn't a Burrow either. There were three modestly sized bedrooms and one double bedroom with an ensuite. Each room was a different colour; one red, one blue, one pale yellow and one cream. The bathrooms were tiled, white and spacious.

Downstairs there was a kitchen, a large office, a dining room and a lounge. The kitchen was modern and large, housing a mixture of muggle and wizarding items. They had a fridge and freezer but a magically started jug and oven. Hermione couldn't quite live without a few muggle comforts and Fred was more than willing to live with them.

The lounge was comfortable; they had a large corner couch that you could just relax into. There was a TV with a muggle DVD and VCR so that the couple could watch a few movies together. They had a coffee table and a few armchairs too. The office was a favourite room of Hermione's; it was big enough for the both of them and housed all of their books.

They even made sure it had a basement so that Fred could experiment down there without contaminating the rest of the house. The property was large, surrounded for miles by never-ending pastures. It was the only way that they could have a magical and muggle home combined. The privacy was something they enjoyed also.

Hermione made her way into the kitchen and started to prepare chicken soup. It was something so typically muggle and yet, any time that Fred was feeling even slightly under the weather Hermione would make him chicken soup and Fred would feel better. She thought that maybe it was Fred _thinking_ it would make him feel better rather than the soup actually making him feel better but she didn't want to take that away from him. If it made him feel better, than who was she to judge?

Hermione had just finished when she heard Fred coming down the stairs. Hermione quickly poured him a serve and placed it on the table with a few slices of thickly cut, white bread. Hermione was pouring herself a serve when she heard him moan at the smell. Grabbing herself some bread Hermione sat herself beside from Fred at the small kitchen bench.

"Feeling better?" Hermione asked, running her hand through his hair.

"I'm feeling very well rested, I wasn't aware I was sick though," Fred said, his voice still groggy from sleep.

"Well, I have noticed that you've been very stressed lately. George and I decided that you don't have to go back to work until the 27th, have a three day break to de-stress and recharge."

Fred nodded, feigning a smile for Hermione whilst inside he was raging. George _knew _the reason he was stressed, George _knew_ that being around Hermione only made it worse and George _knew _that the last goddamn thing he would want was an entire un-interrupted day with Hermione before he popped the question. It would kill him to be at home with nothing to do all day; he wasn't stupid, he knew Hermione would make him relax for the whole day.

There was nothing for it. He'd have to do it tonight. _Right. Now_. Why delay it any further?

Thanking Merlin that he had changed back into his clothes, Fred fingered the box inside his pocket once again. Finishing his soup, Fred pulled out the box and placed it on his lap.

"That was lovely, thanks 'Mione," Fred said, smiling as he kissed her cheek.

"You're welcome; I know how much you enjoy it when you aren't feeling your best."

"That's one of the things I love about you 'Mione."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you are always so thoughtful," he replied, locking eyes with her as he pushed his chair out of the way.

Bending down on one knee he grabbed Hermione's left hand in both of his own, forcing her to swivel on her chair to see him properly. Her eyes widened at Fred; one knee only meant one thing, not even Fred would joke about this.

"Hermione," he started. "I know it wasn't an easy start, but I enjoy being with you. I love you. Your intelligence, your compassion, your beauty. I love all of you and I'm hoping you love all of me too. Will you marry me Hermione?"

Fred waited with wide eyes, his breathing uneven as he awaited one word that would either make him the happiest man or the saddest man.

"Yes," Hermione whispered, tears swimming in her eyes as she flashed her bright, brilliant smile at him. The smile meant _just _for him.

Fred flashed his own smile back at her and slid the modest diamond ring onto her left ring finger. It magically tightened and Hermione admired the beauty of it; simple, understated and yet uniquely _her_. Fred had known the second he'd seen it that it was for Hermione.

Hermione attacked him with kisses, pulling him up so he was standing in between her legs. She moved her hands up his torso, feeling the taut muscles that lay beneath his clothes. Her hands found his neck, one hand sliding up into his hair while the other trailed back to his chest.

Fred put his hands on her hips, moving them up and down her side Fred gently cupped Hermione's breasts. Hermione moaned into his mouth, her legs lifting up to wind around his waist. Fred moved his hands back down her side and then under her shirt. Cupping her breast through the fabric of her bra, he teased the pink nipple to a pebbled tip. Hermione moaned again and then pulled away.

"Take me to bed Fred," Hermione said in a breathy voice, winding her legs tighter around him.

Fred gladly did as he was told; thinking to himself that Hermione would definitely be the death of him and funnily enough, he was most definitely okay with that.


End file.
